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inclusive and people-centric development etc. to match our development aspirations. The Government growth, we are also establishing high-tech parks across the

policies. To this end, annual national has increased infrastructure investment over the years. The country. The parks will not only create thousands of jobs but
budgets consistently allocate substantial work of the 6.15 km long Padma Bridge is financed with also encourage local and foreign companies to further invest
resources to social sectors for pro-poor our own resources. This bridge would connect the country’s and work there.
human development and social safety net second most important port at Mongla and industrial zone Bangladesh’s remarkable progress in ICT sector has been
so as to unleash the creative energies of the in Khulna, the Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway. In recognized with some prestigious international awards. In
entire population. As I mentioned earlier, addition, the mega projects like Rooppur Nuclear Power recent past, our Prime Minister received the ‘South-South
one of the stellar achievements in the socio- Plant, Payra sea port, Sonadia deep sea port, coal-fired Cooperation Visionary Award’ and the ‘ICT Sustainable
economic development is the reduction of Matarbari and Rampal power plant, metro rail and liquefied Development Award’. ICT Affairs Adviser to the Prime
poverty at a remarkable rate. Poverty rate natural gas terminal are under construction. These projects Minister Sajeeb Wazed Joy got ‘ICT for Development
dropped from 41.5% in 2006 to 21.4% in would certainly have a positive impact on the economic Award 2016’ for his pioneering role to set the country on
2018. During the same period, extreme growth and development of the country. the path of digital revolution. The Prime Minister’s Office

poverty has decreased from 24% to 11.3%. of Bangladesh has been receiving the prestigious ‘World
We have launched some innovative socio- Energy is another key area. 90% of our population has Summit on Information Society’ prizes of the International
economic development models like ‘One come under electricity coverage. Power generation capacity Telecommunication Union (ITU) almost regularly since

House, One Farm Project’ for the poor has gone up to 20,000 megawatts from 3000 megawatts in 2014. In addition, Bangladesh received the ‘Global ICT
and ‘Shelter Project’ for homeless persons. 2009. Power supply is being ensured with the installation Excellence Award’ for its contribution to social development
We have ensured 100% enrollment at the of 5.5 million solar panels. To effectively address the impact of the nation by pursuing ICT. One of the most impressive
primary level. Since 2010, students are of frequent natural disasters and adverse effects of climate milestones achieved is the successful launch of our very first
receiving free textbooks from pre-primary change, Bangladesh Delta Plan (BDP) 2100 has been commercial satellite ‘Bangabandhu Satellite-1’ in May 2018.
behind this striking economic performance? to secondary levels in school that include books for ethnic developed with assistance from the Netherlands. The BDP This makes Bangladesh the 57 country to have its own
th
We are among the fastest growing economies in the world. minorities in their mother languages. In health, the maternal 2100 aims at attaining long term water and food security, satellite in outer space.
Bangladesh is on Goldman Sachs’ list of the “Next 11” mortality rate has decreased to 170 per hundred thousand economic growth and environmental sustainability while
st
emerging economic powerhouses of the 21 century. and child mortality rate under the age of five has gone down effectively reducing vulnerability and building resilience to Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries in the
Currently, we are the 43 largest economy in the world in to 28 per thousand. Around 18,000 community health clinics natural disasters, climate change and other delta challenges world to suffer from adverse effects of climate change. What
rd
terms of nominal GDP. Bangladesh’s recent economic boom and Union Health Centres have brought health care to our through water governance. The BDP 2100 is aligned with has been Bangladesh’s role in addressing this pressing issue
that you rightly referred to, came on the back of a decade of people’s doorsteps where 30 different types of medicines are existing and future development plans, including the SDGs. at various levels?
economic growth registered at over 6.26% per annum. Last distributed free of cost. As of now, 99% of our people have The Plan would be implemented by 2030 through 80 projects Bangladesh is among the 10 most climate vulnerable countries
three years in a row, the GDP grew at an average rate of over 7 access to sanitation and 88% to safe drinking water. Life costing USD 37.5 billion. in the world. Its topography, coupled with high density of
per cent and in 2017-18, we registered a growth of 7.86%. We expectancy has increased to 72 years from 64 in 2009. population, has made the country particularly exposed to
believe, this rapid economic expansion will pick up further Over the years, information and communication technology climate change risks. Bangladesh remains committed to
momentum and hit 10% annual growth over the next three Our economic transformation was also driven in large part (ICT) has changed the way of the world dramatically. How implementing the Paris Agreement. We are spending over
years. Consequently, the per capita income has increased by social changes, starting with the empowerment of women. Bangladesh is advancing with ICT keeping pace with the 1% of our GDP in addressing climate change impacts. We are
from USD 543 in 2006 to USD 1,752 in 2018. The Government has taken every possible step toward digital world? also promoting climate-resilient agriculture. Initiatives have
educating girls and giving women a greater voice, both in We have embarked on a journey towards ‘Digital Bangladesh’ been taken to increase forest coverage from 22% to 24% in
This success is the outcome of the implementation of a range the household and in public sphere. The RMG industry I in January 2009 under the dynamic leadership of Prime the next five years. A project worth 50 million USD is being
of effective policies adopted by the present Government. One mentioned before – the largest export earner – employs 4.5 Minister Sheikh Hasina. The main purpose of this initiative is implemented for the conservation of the Sundarbans, the
striking achievement is the steady decline in poverty. Also, million workers of which 80% are women. Education for to build a tech-savvy and knowledge-based society ensuring world’s largest mangrove forest and a UNESCO world heritage
other social indicators like gender disparity in education girls till twelfth grade is free of cost in public educational the country’s inclusive growth, sustainable development site. We have integrated our development programmes and
and maternal mortality have also significantly improved. institutions. At secondary level, the ratio of girls to boys is and good governance. Since then, Bangladesh has come a our efforts to build capacity for combating climate change
Throughout this process, the economy continued to diversify 53:47, up from 35:65 in early 2009. Women entrepreneurs long way as an emerging country in the technology world. into the BDP 2100, to which I referred earlier. This multi-
from a predominantly agrarian to a more manufacturing- are offered collateral free bank loans with 5% service charge. Today, ICT has been already brought to people’s doorsteps. sectoral, techno-economic long-term Plan is aimed at water
based one with rapid growth in the ready-made garment 10% of Small Entrepreneurs’ Fund and 10% of industrial plots They now have easy access to public services through the and food security, economic growth and environmental
(RMG) industry making it the second largest RMG exporter are earmarked for women entrepreneurs. Clearly, promoting national web portal of 25,000 websites and 5,275 digital sustainability and effectively reducing vulnerability as well
in the world. Innovation, investment and job creation have women’s empowerment through enhancing opportunities centres. Even in remote villages, they benefit from various as building resilience to natural disasters, climate change
also been crucial in our economic transformation. Public for education greatly facilitated their political and economic services through the 4,550 Union Digital Centres. There are and other deltaic challenges through water governance.
investment was at 4.3% of GDP in 2009. It rose to 8.2% in emancipation. more than 0.5 million freelancers involved in outsourced Bangladesh is the only country in the world that has adopted
2018. Foreign investors are being offered various financial jobs. A government initiative is providing quality training such a long-term development plan spanning 82 years. At the
incentives like tax holiday, avoidance of double taxation and Infrastructure is one of the key requirements for economic to youngsters in order to increase the number of IT international level, Bangladesh has always been very vocal in
exemption of duties. 100 Special Economic Zones will be development. What are the major improvements in professionals to 2 million by 2021. Already, the number of addressing the adverse effects of climate change. As an active
gradually set up; currently 11 are functioning. This would infrastructure sector in Bangladesh that represent a positive the country’s total internet users reached 90.05 million and member and 3rd Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum
help create 10 million job opportunities in the country. shift in your country’s future progress and development? mobile telephone users crossed 143 million. According to the (CVF) – a partnership of countries highly vulnerable to a
Bangladesh’s strategic location makes it an emerging hub GSM Association, Bangladesh has the potential to be the 10 th warming planet, we hosted a major gathering of the Forum
Bangladesh’s recent all-round development trajectory has for regional connectivity, foreign investments and global largest internet using country in the world by 2020. On the at Dhaka in 2011. There a 14-point Declaration was adopted
become a unique success story. Could you highlight some outsourcing. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister since other hand, the export of tech-enabled product and services at an event attended by the then UN Secretary-General Mr.
of Bangladesh’s remarkable achievements in the socio- 2009, we embarked on a strong infrastructure programme recently crossed USD 1 billion from only USD 26 million in Ban Ki-moon. Currently, we are chairing the Platform on
economic arena? of mega projects including Padma Multi-Purpose Bridge, 2008. The target now is to earn USD 5 billion from export Disaster Displacement (PDD) which aims at addressing
Since 2009, the Government has been implementing Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, a number of deep sea ports from this sector by 2021. To maintain a sustainable industrial climate change and disaster induced displacement.

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